hair and eye color aside.”
Harry seemed very pleased by that. Too pleased.
“Parker went down the road he did because he had no choice, Harry. He had no benefactor as you do now. He had no one to give him a chance at advancement.”
Harry stared back at her. “Don’t you like what Parker is?”
“Like?” She laughed. “I love Parker exactly as he is. But he lived a hard, cold life, and a lonely one. I want to protect you from that if I can.”
Harry thought about it for a moment. “And Peter Jack and Eric?”
“Peter Jack is often at Parker’s side; he’s learning the respectable end of Parker’s business. It worries me you are learning …” She sighed. She did not know how to proceed without causing offense.
“The darker side?” Harry smiled.
It reminded her so much of Parker, it hurt. She nodded.
“The darker side suits me better.” Harry lifted his hands with a shrug, leaned back a little in the chair, and allowed it to take his weight.
Susanna clenched her hands into fists in her lap, but there was nothing else to say on the matter. “You came to report to Parker?”
“Aye.” Harry was watching her again, as if weighing up whether to tell her the news instead of Parker. “An urchin dropped a note at the Duke’s this morning. Norfolk came flying out of the house when he got it, but by then the urchin had gone.”
“You followed the lad?”
Harry nodded. “He had just nipped around the corner for the rest of his money. Foreign man gave it to him. I thought you might like to know that when he spoke to the lad, his words sounded like yours.”
Susanna started. “You mean he spoke English like I do? Like a person from the Lowlands?”
“It is a most pleasant accent, and I recognized it immediately.”
Susanna blew out a breath. This should not surprise her. Jens had been involved, after all. Why not more of her countrymen? “Did you follow the man after he paid the lad?”
Harry raised a brow at her and despite herself, she laughed. “Of course you did.”
“He walked back to one those narrow houses set on London Bridge.” Harry looked suddenly uneasy.
“What?”
“They seem to be packing up and leaving.”
“Right now?” Parker was at Bridewell. It would take at least an hour to fetch him back.
“They are heaping their things into a cart at the door.”
“Perhaps I can slow them down, if they are from the Low Countries. Pretend some connection to them?”
Harry’s fingers gripped and released the wool of his breeches. “Parker will not like it.” But the excitement of the chase was in his eyes.
Susanna stood. “Parker does not like a lot of things. But he will dislike losing this man even more.” And she would go out of her way to foil any plan of Norfolk’s.
“You can take me to London Bridge. I’ll send Eric to wait for Parker and Peter Jack outside Bridewell, to tell them where we are.”
Harry nodded and rose, too.
“You hoped I’d suggest this, didn’t you?” Susanna watched him form a denial, then nod, a tiny movement of his head.
The thrill of the chase. The determination to bring down the prey. Maybe it was living on the streets, as Parker had—although Peter Jack had done that, too, and he didn’t have the same wild edge as Harry.
Whatever the reason, Susanna was glad Parker had found Harry and taken him in.
He was already a strong adversary, and when he grew into the promise of his height and his hands, he would be almost as dangerous as her lover.
And loyal only to him.
12
Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.
—Machiavelli , The Prince, dedication
P arker had sent Peter Jack back to Crooked Lane, but now he regretted it.
The occupants of the house
Harry seemed very pleased by that. Too pleased.
“Parker went down the road he did because he had no choice, Harry. He had no benefactor as you do now. He had no one to give him a chance at advancement.”
Harry stared back at her. “Don’t you like what Parker is?”
“Like?” She laughed. “I love Parker exactly as he is. But he lived a hard, cold life, and a lonely one. I want to protect you from that if I can.”
Harry thought about it for a moment. “And Peter Jack and Eric?”
“Peter Jack is often at Parker’s side; he’s learning the respectable end of Parker’s business. It worries me you are learning …” She sighed. She did not know how to proceed without causing offense.
“The darker side?” Harry smiled.
It reminded her so much of Parker, it hurt. She nodded.
“The darker side suits me better.” Harry lifted his hands with a shrug, leaned back a little in the chair, and allowed it to take his weight.
Susanna clenched her hands into fists in her lap, but there was nothing else to say on the matter. “You came to report to Parker?”
“Aye.” Harry was watching her again, as if weighing up whether to tell her the news instead of Parker. “An urchin dropped a note at the Duke’s this morning. Norfolk came flying out of the house when he got it, but by then the urchin had gone.”
“You followed the lad?”
Harry nodded. “He had just nipped around the corner for the rest of his money. Foreign man gave it to him. I thought you might like to know that when he spoke to the lad, his words sounded like yours.”
Susanna started. “You mean he spoke English like I do? Like a person from the Lowlands?”
“It is a most pleasant accent, and I recognized it immediately.”
Susanna blew out a breath. This should not surprise her. Jens had been involved, after all. Why not more of her countrymen? “Did you follow the man after he paid the lad?”
Harry raised a brow at her and despite herself, she laughed. “Of course you did.”
“He walked back to one those narrow houses set on London Bridge.” Harry looked suddenly uneasy.
“What?”
“They seem to be packing up and leaving.”
“Right now?” Parker was at Bridewell. It would take at least an hour to fetch him back.
“They are heaping their things into a cart at the door.”
“Perhaps I can slow them down, if they are from the Low Countries. Pretend some connection to them?”
Harry’s fingers gripped and released the wool of his breeches. “Parker will not like it.” But the excitement of the chase was in his eyes.
Susanna stood. “Parker does not like a lot of things. But he will dislike losing this man even more.” And she would go out of her way to foil any plan of Norfolk’s.
“You can take me to London Bridge. I’ll send Eric to wait for Parker and Peter Jack outside Bridewell, to tell them where we are.”
Harry nodded and rose, too.
“You hoped I’d suggest this, didn’t you?” Susanna watched him form a denial, then nod, a tiny movement of his head.
The thrill of the chase. The determination to bring down the prey. Maybe it was living on the streets, as Parker had—although Peter Jack had done that, too, and he didn’t have the same wild edge as Harry.
Whatever the reason, Susanna was glad Parker had found Harry and taken him in.
He was already a strong adversary, and when he grew into the promise of his height and his hands, he would be almost as dangerous as her lover.
And loyal only to him.
12
Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.
—Machiavelli , The Prince, dedication
P arker had sent Peter Jack back to Crooked Lane, but now he regretted it.
The occupants of the house
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